by Kevin Foley » Tue May 02, 2006 12:46 pm
Derek, we'll just have to agree to disagree. Although I have spend my career in biotech (75-2000 employee companies), I have received job offers from big pharmas, and have successfully renegotiated offer letters in almost every case.
In principle everything is negotiable (obviously within reason), even salary, no matter what the initial offer letter says. Of course, how negotiable depends on the specifics of the position in question. Obviously, a CEO will have a great deal of flexibility (one only has to read the news paper to see how much!), while an entry level research associate with a BS will have much less. If you are offered $50K, they are not going to go to $100K, but they might go to $55K (and maybe even $60K), depending on the situation.
But part of the problem is that the overwhelming majority (90%+) of job candidates don't know how to negotiate and are even unwilling to try. Which only makes HR's job that so much easier. They come up with a number that is based on very peripheral analysis, which is why it behooves you to do your own analysis and come up with a number that you think you are really worth.
As far as hiring managers not caring about your salary, this is why the best approach is not to negotiate with HR directly, but enlist the hiring manager on your side and have him/her negotiate with HR for you. If the hiring manager agrees with your request (you having explained to him/her why you think it is justified), there is a much better chance that you’ll get it. I don't know how many times I've seen a hiring manager convince HR to pay more than they want for a candidate because the hiring manager really likes the candidate and doesn’t want to search for another candidate only to save a few $1000.
Finally, a company may not be willing to raise your salary offer, but may be willing to adjust other parts of the offer (stock options, hiring bonus, I’ve even heard of vacation days being negotiated). Just make sure that your negotiating position is based on what you are actually bringing to the company, and doesn’t show you are clueless about what you are worth in the marketplace.
The trick is to make it a win-win situation (as in any negotiation). You won’t get everything you ask for, but a partial victory makes both sides feel good. Obviously, once you are hired, it is too late to negotiate.
Personally, if someone doesn’t negotiate a job offer, my respect for them drops a notch. Similarly, you can also loose respect by asking for way too much.
Cheers,
Kevin